Jewelry unit and method and apparatus for making the same



0. HEYMAN.

JEWELRY UNIT AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG.29. 192:.

1,433, 19, I Patented 0012.31,]1922 3 SHEETSSHET l.

11v VENTOR ATTORNEY- 0! HEYMAN. JEWELRY UNIT AND THQD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME.

APPUQAHQN FILED AUG.29, 1921. 1,433,819. Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. l I v 7 m I /5 Y Z/ l 9 j I6 Z3 53 1 VENTOR A TTORNEY 0. HEYMAN. JEWELRY mm AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING THE SAME, APPLICATION FILED AUG.29, 1921a 1,433,819. 7 Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

V 4 #49 41. 1 WW6; 1? 30 i l4 5 Q ,6

M VENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Get, 3i, 192.2

oscen anytime, on NEW roan, N. Y.

Application filed August 22-], 1921. Serial No. 196,242.

To all'whomit may co-ncr-ar-m 1 v Be it known'that 1, Oscar: HEYMAN, a citizen of the United. States, residing at New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jewelry Units and lilethod and Apparatus for Making the Same; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexactdescription of the invention, such as'will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to articulated jewelry, and more particularly to the small boxlike units of which such jewelry is made, and "to the method of and apparatus for making these units.

In jewelry of this nature, the units are commonly hinged together, and'each must therefore be provided with hingeparts, each unit usually having male and female hinge members on opposite ends, designed to cooperate with corresponding members on adjacent units. lVhen working with articles as small as these little box-like units, and

especially when they are of noble metal alloys, as they ordinarily must be, the manufacturing diiiiculties are great. The common method of making these units is to form in the abutting faces of two sections or boxes, half cylindrical recesses adapted to receive smallsections of tubing which constitute the knuckles of the hinge. These sections of tubing are secured to thefabutting faces of the boxes insuch amanner that the sections will fit together in the form of a hinge, a pintle being inserted in the tubesections to unite the parts. The

production'of units ofthis type involves a series of delicate welding or soldering operations corresponding to the number of tubular sections to beiapplied, and the finished articles possess an inherent Weakness because thetube sections are "separate pieces and are not integral parts of the boxes. Moreover, units made inthis mannermust be carefully fitted to each other; This is tedious, time-consuming andexpensive.

If these units could be made in one piecehinge knuckles and alla much stronger article could be obtained, and if they could be made by a die stamping operation, greater accuracy could be realized at much less eX- pense. But to do this has formerly been considered impossible, due in the inherent toughness of the metals and the consequent die;

diliiculty of making clean-cut, sharp-cornered pieces having a deep'box-inaking de pression, by any known stamping operations, without running the risk of breaking the die partsand the danger of being unable to strip the dies. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to devise practical ways and means for making these little box units in one piece, particularly out of the noble metal alloys employed in jewelry manufacture.

These alloys, particularly those of platinum-iridium, are so tough that they flow with difhculty in any die, and where the shape involves making a deep depression, as in the manufacture of these box-shaped units, it is practically impossible to employ known methods. Not only is it impossible to make the metal flow into the corners and edges of the die, 'butthe great toughness of the metal inevitably results in breaking the die parts, and many even make it im possible to strip the formed article from the This toughness also makes it diflicult even to shear a bar of these metals, for the metal tends to pinch and spread. Thus, the problem of fashioning out of these metals such units, as those under consideration, and to do it commercially, presents real difliculties, This problem has been finally solved by appreciating necessity for shearing the blank to shape, at the same timeforcingit into a die cavity of exactly the same shape, and holding it there tightly confined on all sides during the depressioniorming operation. This procedure has made it possible to fashion the blank with accurately dimensioned projections to be "shaped later into the male and female hinge knuckles with whicheach box must be provided To do all this has necessitated dies of new design, adapted not only to confine the unit being formed, but to eject it upon completion of the operation. Once this blank is made, however, stamped, cleancut in box form with end projections correstood after a study of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the dies employed in forming the blank. Figs. 2 and 3 are planviews of the male and female diemembers respectively, taken on line 2--2 and 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical trans verse section through the maledie member taken on a plane at right angles to the section plane of Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a-similar view of the female die member. Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are transverse vertical sections on an enlarged scale taken through both die members and showing the successive steps followed in forming the blank. Fig. 10 is a view in perspective of the completed blank as it is ejected from the dies and Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 represent the following successive stages in the manufacture ofthe completed unit.

The blank forming apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 9 comprise a stationary base 1 and a vertically reciprocating head 2, sliding relative to the base upon vertical guide rods 3 projecting upwardly from the base and secured thereto. The head 2 carries the male die member 4 and the base 1 the female die member 5.

The male die member 4 is carried directly upon a plate 6 depending from the head 2 by means of four bolts '7 secured to the plate 6 butsliding loosely in the head 2. Theirelative movement between the head and the plate is guided by means of two guiderods 8 secured to the head and projecting downwardly through two corresponding openings in the plate. The plate is normally spaced apart from the head asshownin Fig. l-by its own weight'and also by the expansion of four coil springs 9 which surround the bolts 7.

The male die'member 4 is shaped to correspond exactly with the completed blank as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, being shaped on either end to conform tothe projections in the blank which subsequently form the hinge knuckles. The center. of this die member is formed with a passage 11 square in cross section corresponding to the depression in the completed box. Within this passage a plunger 12 is located. This'plunger 1s supported by a bolt 13 secured to and depending from the head 2 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. When the head is in its raised position as shown in Fig. 1, thelower end of the plunger 12 is positioned some distance back from the lower opening of the passage 11. When, however, the head is depressed as it is during the normal operation of the machine until the male die member contacts with the'stock, the plate 6 is of the female die member.

9. A strip of blocks 14, held against longitudinal movement and reinforced by means of ribs 20. These parts 14 and 15 define the side walls The base of this member is formed by an anvil 16 slidably mounted in the cavity and supported upon a block 17 which isinturn supported upon a cylindrical disc 18 slidably held within a cavity 19 in the base. Projecting through the base and into thisoavity 19 are three equi-spaeed pins 21 which contact with and support the disc 18. These pins are in their turn supported upon a transverse bar 22 which is loosely seated within a corresponding slot 23 inthe lower face of the base. This transverse bar 22 is supported by two rods 24 which pass loosely through openings in the base and are. fixed to the head 2. Oneof the blocks 14 is provided onits upper face with a plate 25 provided with a projecting finger 26 which acts as-a stop for the metal bar fed forward to the die, and guided by the inner ends of the plates 15.

The method of formingthe blanks will be clear from a study of Figs. 6, 7, 8 and latinum 27 of proper width and thicknessis fed forward over the face of the forward block 14 and between the inner beveled ends of plates 15 until it cont acts with the finger 26. The male die member anditsplunger and the anvil 16 are-all inraised position, the relation of the'parts being clearly shown in Fig, 6, and also in Fig. 2. Thehead-2 is then depressed and the descending member .4 shears the bar 27 and atthe sametime forces the sheared section 27 downwardly" into the cavity defined blocks14 and'plates 15,the-anvil follow-i mg this downward movement as described above. The parts then-occupy the position shown in -7. It willnbe noted that the plunger 12 is still in its raised or. retracted position, whichmeans that the. springs 9. have been-rigid enough to permit the shearing =-a ction to take place without sensibly compressing. The anvil having reached its lower limit,.due to the contactiof disc 18 w ththe bottom of the cavity 19, springs. 9..

compress and downward movement of the male die member stops. But as the head 2 is uninterruptedly continuing to drop the plunger 12. continues in its downward movement and projects beyond the lower face of the member 4'extendingia considerable distance into the metal blank 27,-as shown in Fig. Sand forminga depression 28. During thls operation the metal is confined with upper side, however, is heldby the member .4 which. in turn is resiliently held by-springs 9. As the plunger descends the slight flow of the metal in an upward direction forces the plate 6 upwardly'against the pressureof, springs 9 until it contacts with the head. 2. The metal is then under heavy pressure on absolute rigidity on. 5 sides,'the sintha'nda the highly compressed springs 9 holdsthe allsides and a sharp-cornered blank results. The quantity of metal must, of course, be nicely predetermined or the die will be brokenn w The head 2 is now-retracted. At the start of this upward movement the expansion of blank is removed and'the strip 26 fed for;

ward for another operation. 1

The cutting edge of the member 4, as

clearly shownin Fig. 3, is that edge which presentsthe widest continu ouscutting part. With each shearing operation the blank which is forced into the cavity is formed with a projection 29 which corresponds to the male knuckle of thehinge whileat the same time the end of the strip 26 is outwith the other corresponding set of projections 30. Upon thesucceeding operation these will be movedforward and will accurately fit within the farther end of the member 5 asshown.

By the nextoperation of the knuckle members are shaped. This may be done as follows: The blanks are placed upon a jig, the depressions in each blank fitting over a corresponding projection of the jig. When a number of' these have been thus positioned, the whole is clamped to the bed of a planer and a special shaping tool rounds the projections, first on one end of the box and then on the other, until they assume the shape shown in Fig. 11.

The metal in the side wall of the box between the knuckles of the female hinge member may then be punched out by placing the unit in. a press and punching the metal out by means of a plunger. After this operation the blank is as shown in Fig. 12.

The next operation comprises countersinking the sides of the box adjacent the male hinge member to provide suitable recesses for the corresponding knuckles on an adjacent unit. This operation can be carried out in any desired manner, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. After this is done holes are drilled in both knuckle members for the ultimate reception of the pintle, the completed unit being shown in Fig. 1A. Although a certain specific apparatus has been shown and described in connection with the method of forming these blanks, it will be clear that the invention is not neces sarily limited to these structural details and that the device mightbe modified to perform substantially the same functions without departing from the spirit of the invention.: Theinvention has also been described as particularly applicable to working with noble metalalloysand it wasinthis connection that it was developed. It is obvious, however, that softer metals may be worked in this manner, although such a working is not necessary. It is also clear that other. metals possessing substantially the same physical properties as these alloys could preferablyibe "worked in this'same manner. a I

1. The method of forming box-like jew' elry: units comprising confining .a blank within a die cavity rigidly on five sides-and yieldingly on the sixth side andshaping it by means of a plungerintroduced through the sixth side. t: f

2. The method of forming jewelry units comprising feeding a strip of metal over the female member of a die, shearing blanks from the strip by means of the male die member, the shearing edges being shaped to give each blank projections for corresponding male and female hinge parts, simultaneously forcing each blank into the cavity defined by the female die member and'formr ing a depression in the blankwhile so con fined.

3. The method of forming jewelry units comprising feeding a strip of metal over the female member of a die, shearing blanks from the strip by means of the male die member, the shearing edges being shaped to give each blank pro ections for correspondmg male and female hinge parts, simultaneously forcing each blank into the cavity defined by the female die member, forming a depression in the blank while so confined, ejecting the blank, and shaping the projections to form hinge knuckles. 4;. Apparatus for forming jewelry unit blanks of the kind described comprising male and female die members shaped to shear off blanks from a metal bar fed be tween them so that the blanks will be provided with projections from which hinge knuckles can be shaped, the male die member forcing the sheared blank into the cavity defined by the female die member during the shearing operation. 5. Apparatus for forming jewelry unit blanks of the kind described comprising male and female die members designed to form a blank, a movable anvil forming the bottom of the female die member, and means for positively moving the anvil with the retractile movement of the male die member to eject the blank. 6. Apparatus for forming jewelry unit blanks of the kind described comprising male and female die members, a plunger in the male die member movable relative thereto and means causing the plunger to project beyond the end of its die member to stamp male and female dieimembers, a plunger in the male die member movable relative thereto for stamping a depression in the blank held between the die'members,= and means for-stripping the plunger.

8. Apparatus for forming jewelry unit blanks of the kind described comprising a base, a head movable thereto, a p1ate:c'arried by the head, a male die member carried by the plate and having apassage therein, resilient means between the plate and the head permitting slight relative movement between them, a plunger rigidly secured to the head and movable withinthe passage in the male die member when the resilient means permit relative movement between theplate and the head, and a female die member carried by the base and coopcrating with said male'die member.

9. Apparatus forforming jewelry unit blanks of the kind described comprising male and female die members, the female die member beingdefinedby two blocks and two plates, thezplates extending beyond the upper. face of the blocks and serving as a.

member'having side and endwalls, the end.

walls being provided with hinge members and the entire articleincluding the hinge members being formed out-of a single piece of material: H 1 v 11. An article of jewelry comprising. a number of 'hingednnits each having side and; end walls, the endgwalls being provided with projecting pintle receiving knuckles adapted tocooperate with knuckles of ad'- jacentunits, the walls and knuckles-of each unit being formed out of a single piece of metal. j 1

12. A jewelry unit-in the form of a hollow member. having formed in one piece with the end walls thereof projecting knuckles adapted toreceivepintles, said end walls being provided with depressions adjacent the knuckles within which the cooperating knuckles of an adjacent unit are adapted to fit.

Intesti mony whereof Iaffix-my signature.

OSCAR HEYMAN. 

